A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c24.51

v1.c24.51

The subjects are: nasal medication (nasya) is indicated in diseases located above the clavicles (ūrdhvajatru), because the nose is the gateway to the head (20.1);²⁷² the three types of nasya: virecana (evacuating), bṛṃhaṇa (roborant) and śamana (appeasing) (20.2ab);²⁷³ the indications for these three types (20.2cd–4);²⁷⁴ the materials used in the preparation of the three types (20.5–6);²⁷⁵ another classification of nasal medications: marśa and pratimarśa are prepared with fatty substances; avapīḍa is prepared with the paste (kalka), etc., of drugs with a sharp (tīkṣṇa) action; dhmāna is blown into the nose in the form of a powder (cūrṇa) by means of a tube (nāḍī) (20.7–9ab);²⁷⁶ the doses to be administered and the definition of their unit, the drop (bindu) (20.9cd–11a);²⁷⁷ contra-indications for nasal medication (20.11b–13c);²⁷⁸ the times of the day, dependent on the season, which are most suitable to the administration of a nasya (20.13d–16);²⁷⁹ the procedure to be followed in applying a nasya (20.17–21ab);²⁸⁰ the treatment to be applied when the patient faints (20.21cd); a fatty nasya should be given immediately after an evacuating one (20.22ab);²⁸¹ after-treatment (20.22cd–23ab);²⁸² the signs indicating proper, deficient and excessive treatment (20.23cd–25);²⁸³ indications and contra-indications for a pratimarśa, rules for its application, its effects (20.26–30ab);²⁸⁴ age limits for treatment with a nasya, dhūma (fumigation) and kavala (gargle), and for śuddhi (purificatory treatment) (20.30cd–31); the efficacy of the daily use of pratimarśa (20.32–34ab); the differences between marśa and pratimarśa; the use of marśa, though more difficult and risky, has the advantages of quicker action and better results; the same differences can be observed between acchapāna (of a sneha) and vicāraṇā, kuṭīsthiti and vātātapasthiti (as rasāyana methods), anuvāsana and mātrābasti (20.34cd–36); the preparation of the nasya called aṇutaila (20.37–38);²⁸⁵ the beneficial effects of habitual nasal therapy (20.39).²⁸⁶